Amid anticipation of Israel’s response to the Iranian rocket attack on the night of October 1st, the United States has reiterated its support for Israel.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in a call with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on Monday, reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to deterring Iran and its proxies in the region. He emphasized that the U.S. has significant capabilities in the region to defend its soldiers and personnel, as well as to provide additional support and prevent further escalation. Austin also reiterated that the U.S. supports “Israel’s right to defend itself,” according to a statement published on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
Target Bank
This stance follows the exchange of threats on Sunday between Tehran and Tel Aviv regarding the Israeli response and the expected Iranian counter-response. Israeli officials had earlier pointed to a likely list of Iranian targets that could be included in a potential “major” Israeli response. They indicated that Israel might strike strategic locations in Iran, which could include Iranian oil or even nuclear facilities.
They also suggested that the Israeli response could involve airstrikes by fighter jets and covert operations similar to the one that killed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July. They noted that this time, the response would be “much larger.”
On the other hand, Tehran asserted that any Israeli attack would be met with a stronger response than on October 1st. Iran had launched more than 180 rockets at Israel at the beginning of this month, stating that they successfully targeted three military bases. Tel Aviv acknowledged the targeting of airbases but denied any significant damage.
